Setting Video Preview preferences

You can preview the contents of your Layer, Footage, or Composition window on an external video monitor if you have a third-party device that facilitates this, such as a video digitizing card or a FireWire port (Mac OS). This feature does not work with Windows OHCI cards. Set the Video Preview preferences to identify the device After Effects uses for output, to adjust the display, and to specify the use of OpenGL previews.

To set Video Preview preferences:

1. Choose Edit > Preferences > Video Preview (Windows) or After Effects > Preferences > Video Previews (Mac OS).
2. Set any of the options below, and click OK:
• Choose a device from the Output Device menu. If a device is available, it will appear here.
• Choose a mode from the Output Mode menu. The choices listed here depend on the device you are using. The Frame Size and Frame Rate indicators below the menu reflect the choices you made in the Output Mode menu and are independent of any After Effects setting.
• Select Mirror Previews on Computer Monitor to play the preview simultaneously on the computer screen and the external monitor.
• Select a Show Output option. Select RAM Previews to see all RAM Previews on the external monitor. Select Interactions to always update the video preview on the external monitor. Select Renders to view each frame on the external monitor as it renders.